Preconceptions can be a bitch.

Lemme give you an example. Back in 1981, I bought an album by a band called The Tourists, whom I knew nothing about, and, upon first listen, promptly became the hugest Tourists fan in southwestern Michigan. Okay, competition wasn’t exactly fierce.

Still, I never read a word about the band in the many rock magazines I devoured, nor did I see them on MTV (their video for “I Only Want To Be With You” may have aired a few times, but since I didn’t have cable, I never knew it) and, thus, they joined the growing list of obscure bands I loved, but knew little about.

A couple years later, former Tourists Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart, having begun recording as Eurythmics, were enjoying worldwide stardom on the heels of their second album, Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This). Even though their music and faces were everywhere, I had not yet made the connection to their past.

Truth be told, by the time I did realize that they had been members of the Tourists, their singles had been played so often on the radio, Friday Night Videos, and the like that I didn’t think actually hearing the rest of the album would reveal any new surprises. I’d heard their music, thought it was decent enough, but just wasn’t compelled to join them for this ride.

Here’s where the preconceptions come in. (more…)